Railway-track fastening.



- ddi 2644 I BY g G. J. GADD.

RAILWAY TRACK FASTENING. APPLICATION FILED AUG.29,191L

1,024, I Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

IIIn-i IIIIIII i4 INVEN TOR A TTORNREY CHARLES J. GADD, F LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILlVAY-TBACK FASTENING.

Specification 01'. Letters Patent.

Application filed August 29, 1911.

Patented Apr. 23,1912.

Serial No. 646,635.

To aZZ whom it may camera-.-

Be it known. that 1, CHARLES J. Gain), a

d subject or" the King of Great Britain, and a of hehanon, in the county of Lebrate of Pennsylvania, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Track Fastenings, of

which the following is a specification;

dilly invention relates to an improved railway track fastenlng and it consists Ina ball and socket arrangement of screw-spike and washer" whereby the former, no matter what angle it may be driven in the tie, will have a full bearing in the latter thus giving equal distribution of pressure over the latter. where it is in contact with the rail flange.

Screw-spikesareordinarily made with a solid head, the taper of the head being forged so as to conform to the taper of the flange of the rail which, in American practice, is commonly 13 degrees. The spike is screwed into the timber tie, passing through a tie-plate, if the tie-plate construct-ion is used, until the cone head lies on the flange ofthe rail. If the spike be driven at right angles to the flange of the rail there will be a line bearing between the spike head and the flange of the rail. Gutside of this bearing the head is. unsupported. and the shank of the spike is subjected to bending, which, not infrequently, results in breakage. If the screw' be driven slightly out of the perpendicular, that is not at right angles to the rail flange, the cone head will not match up with the tapered surface of the flange and a point instead. or a line hearing will be he cl. in my arrangement the washer is made so as to bear against both the rail flange and tieplate, or the tie if a tieplate be not' used, it is drilled so as to allow ample play for the shank of the spike and is furnished upon its top with a concave spherical depression to re'cellve the convex spherical portion oi the spike.

In my arrangement, no matter at what angle the spike be driven in the tie, the spherical convex head of the spike will have a full bearing in the washer and the latter, owing to its peculiar construction, will not only fully support the spike but will so engage the rail flange as to obtain the best holding efiect.

In the accompanying drawings,in which similar numerals of reference indicate similsr parts throughout the several views; Figtie-plate.

ure 1, shows my improved screw-spike and washer, the latter in section, in place on a rail flange which is carried by a shoulder Fig. 2, shows the same arrangement in connection with a straight tie-plate; Fig. 3, the same arrangement in connection with a beveled tic-plate. Fig. 4, a top plan View of the washer; Fig. '5, a front elevation of the washer. i

is the flange of a railway rail. 7 a tieplate of any of the well known constructions, three forms being illustrated in the drawings. V

8 is a washer the inner part 9 of which is beveledso as to rest upon the top of the flange 6 of the rail and the outer part 10 of which, when the inner part 9 engages the flange 6 of the rail, is adapted to rest upon the top of a tie or tie-plate as shown in the drawings. In order than an uneven surface upon the top of the tie or tic-plate may not thrust the washer out of alincment the lower end of the part 10 of the washer which engages the tie or tic-plate is curved as shown in Fig. 5, so as to have a bearing at one point only. 11, Figs. 2 3 and 4, are shoulders formed upon the under side of the washer 8, beneath and, as the device is shown in the drawings, to the left of the inner part 9 of the washer which engage the outer side of the rail flange (3 and prevent the washer turnin in. the case of a shouldered tic-plate the washer is formed to [it up to the shoulder as shown in Fig. l.

12 is a spherical depression formed in the top of the washer 8 and 13 a hole for the passage of the screw-spike.

1% is the screw-spike furnished with the usual threads 15 and angular head 16 for engagement of a wrench.

l? is the head of the spike the under portion of which has a ball form corresponding with the spherical socket 112 in the washer 8. As has been before stated the hole 13 inthe washer 8 is large cnouglnio give considerable clearance to the spike 14; and itand full bearing upon the top of the flange of the rail and there will beno tendency to bend the spike.

- screw spike shank may pass.

' der side of the head engage the top of-the 2. In combination, a screw-spike the under side of the head of which is spherical and a washer having a spherical seat ada ted to receive the spherical head of the spike and a hole concentric with said seat th ough which said spike may pass, the inner nder side of said washer being adapted to engage the top side of the flange of a rail. p

.3. In combination, a screwspike, the unand a washer having hole concentric with underside of said Washer being adapted to flange of a rail, the

a spherical seat and a der side of the head of which is spherical,.

said seat, the inner front-of said washer having a convex bottom adapted to rest upon a tie or tie-plate.

A. In combination, a screw-sp1ke the unofwhich is spherical, and a washer having head and a hole for the shank of saidspike,

a tapered underside to engage the top of the front of said washer flange of a rail, the having a convex bottom adapted to rest upon a tie or tie-plate, said washer having shoulders to engage the side .of the rail flange. r

5. In combination, a screw-spike the under side 'of the head of which isspherical, a washer having a spherical seat for said head and a hole concentric with said seat for the shank of said spike, the under inner side of said washer being tapered to engage the top of the flange of a rail and having shoulders to engage shoulders on the plates, the front of said washer having a convex bottom to rest upon the tie plate.

- CHARLES J. GADD.

Witnesses:

E. P. PYEWELL,

EUGENE HOASTER.

a spherical seat for the 

